I came to Folio Wine Company after working at Robert Mondavi Winery for 12 ½ years with my last position being QC Manager. I got my BS in Biology at Hayward State and then did my California Medical Technologist internship at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills. I won the Med Tech Student of the Year award and went on to work at CSMC for several more years before returning home to the Bay Area. When the endocrinologist I was working for sold his lab, I stayed home with my two daughters for a few years and then decided to try the wine industry rather than medical. I thought I could work a few months a year, during harvest, and have the rest of the time for fun. But no, work was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I had never gone into hysterics over a standard curve, but it happened. I found my niche.

The winery lab arena sadly lacked the kind of quality control which the medical world took for granted, so I brought my experience to Robert Mondavi Winery and forced everyone to embrace it. I am proud to have trained dozens of lab techs about wine analysis and quality control, and enjoy seeing so many of them succeed in the industry.

When Tony Coltrin called to see if I wanted to start a lab from nothing and help make wine, I tried to say no, but somehow he, Diane Simpson and Rob Mondavi persuaded me to leave my comfort zone and make the switch. I'm so glad they did, because I'm learning about all the facets of the wine business. I can feel my brain getting more convolutions with each new task I undertake. The Mondavi family is gracious and kind, my coworkers are totally groovy, and the new lab is righteous. In my spare time I enjoy horses, fishing and long walks on the beach. It's a new level of satisfaction.